Out of Control
by pinkaffinity
Summary: Korra: It was insane to think about having that much power, but she wanted it. She wanted to be that strong. She needed that strength. That's why she was the Avatar. She was the one who had to save the city. Nobody else.
1. Chapter 1

"I'm sorry I'm late!" Korra rushed into the gym, strapping the last of her protective gear on her forearm. Her two teammates were currently working on some strength training. Bolin was doing push-ups, counting out in grunts. Mako paused his lunges, stood, and glared. She knew he was going to be mad at her. He was always mad at her these days.

"You're beyond late. We only have ten minutes of practice time left," he said, gesturing at the gym's clock. She couldn't dispute this. She _was_ late to practice. Again. At least she had an excuse. It was the usual excuse that she'd been using the past few weeks, but it was an excuse nonetheless. She put a hand on her hip.

"I was with Tenzin, okay? It's not my fault."

Ever since she had challenged Amon (and _lost_), Tenzin had been working her harder than ever. She spent hours upon hours practicing, training, studying, learning. A lot of these hours were spent alone. It was miserable, but she forced herself to do it. Nobody else had to know the things she did, nobody else had to be as strong as she had to be. She had to save this city.

Nobody else.

He crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Just go do some squats, rookie." He approached the tall stand that stored all the weighted balls. Before he was able to reach up and grab one to give to her, Korra kicked the ground with her heel, bending the earth underneath the stand. The ball flew off and rolled over to her feet.

"I got it," she said, leaning down to lift it off the ground. She felt Mako's eyes on her, but she ignored them and approached Bolin, who was struggling through the last of his push-ups.

"Hey," he growled through gritted teeth as he lifted his body off the ground. He stopped and sat up, watching as Korra started her squats, holding the weighted ball at chest level. She lowered her body. "What were you doing with Tenzin?"

"Oh, you know, the usual," she said, unbending her knees and rising up again. "Airbending, meditation, learning more about the spirit world and the Avatar State. You know, just a regular day being the Avatar." She winked.

"Any progress on your airbending? I cannot wait for you to blow me away… _not_ that you haven't already." Korra laughed and tapped her foot against his leg. He clutched his knees to his chest and started rocking back and forth. She tossed the ball in front of her and stood.

"Watch this." She rolled her neck before getting in the proper stance in front of Bolin. She curled her wrists out and waved her arms, and a gust of wind blew in his direction, ruffling his hair up with the air current. It nearly (_nearly_) knocked him over, but it was clear that her airbending wasn't that strong yet.

"Awesome!" Bolin yelled, releasing his knees and pumping both fists in the air. Korra grinned.

"Bolin," Mako said as he peered over at the two of them, "C'mon, focus."

"Someone's grumpy today," Korra mumbled under her breath as she picked the ball up again. Mako strode away. Bolin ignored him.

"So, I've obviously heard of the spirit world… but what's the Avatar State? Is that some place that only Avatars can go to?" Bolin asked, now bouncing on his feet, throwing out some practice punches.

Korra's eyes lit up. She'd known about the Avatar State for most of her life. Having discovered that she was the Avatar so young, there had been some leniency in sharing the information that she was going to learn and exactly when this happened. The problem was that a lot of the things she had learned as a kid were very basic, and none of the White Lotus members who were monitoring her training expanded upon it when she aged. They acted like they simply didn't want her to know, but she assumed that they just didn't have a clue what they were talking about. Tenzin, however, knew a lot of things. Aang had shared information with his son with the sole intention of teaching Korra (he had even left her old scrolls to read), and she was definitely grateful for that.

Mostly because she'd never spoken to Aang herself.

"Apparently, I can enter this state where I am incredibly powerful. Almost unstoppable. I've always known that it existed, but I've never been in it. I really, really want to experience it though. Tenzin was telling me more about it today. He said that I'll be crazy powerful." It was insane to think about having that much power, but she wanted it. She wanted to be that strong. She needed that strength. That's why she was the Avatar.

He lifted an eyebrow. "Crazy powerful?"

"Yeah, I get the power of all the Avatars before me. I'd be able to create tornadoes or make volcanoes erupt or just break off an island. I could make an island! Think about how much power that would take! It just sounds so cool. Not to mention I'd really be able to kick some serious Equalist butt."

Bolin rubbed his arm then grinned up at her. "Always a good thing. But you said… almost unstoppable, though."

She scratched her head and lowered into another squat. "Um, I guess if I get killed in the Avatar State then the Avatar is gone forever."

From across the gym, she heard a weight clatter on the floor. The clang resounded throughout the gym, bouncing off the rest of the equipment. Her head whipped, and she saw Mako lifting up the barbell that he had dropped.

Bolin grimaced. Korra couldn't tell if it was at what she just said or if it was directed at Mako. She assumed the former. "Oh…"

Korra shrugged. "But it's not like that would ever happen. I'd be fine. And think of all the cool things I'd be able to do! Huge tidal waves! Enough wind to tear down buildings! It's so amazing, I just—"

"It sounds terrifying," Mako said, finally speaking up.

Korra glanced up at him. He wasn't even looking at her; he lifted the barbell with his back to her. She tried not to picture the muscles sliding underneath his gear, his shirt, his skin. Terrifying? Mako had no idea what he was talking about. The Avatar State was the coolest thing ever. As soon as she was about to say something, the words jumbled in her mouth. She didn't know how to respond.

So she didn't.

The last few minutes of practice were quiet, and Korra silently complained about Mako as she ran laps around the gym. Her gear bounced on her as she jogged. Mako was a jerk. A jerk. A jerk. The word bobbed in her head with each step. Her breaths became labored, and she picked up her pace, nearing a sprint. She didn't like him. Didn't like him. Didn't like him.

She stopped, panting, with her hands on her knees. He was looking at her again. He seemed… angry? She'd never been good at reading expressions.

The Buzzard Wasps came in for their practice time, and Korra was all too ready to pack up and leave, despite the fact that she'd only been there for a grand total of eleven minutes. Mako apparently was ready as well. At the first sight of the other team, he stormed out of the gym and headed for the lockers. She locked eyes with Bolin, who shrugged.

Korra followed quickly and caught up to Mako before Bolin could. Maybe he really was mad? Mako slammed his helmet on the bench as he started ripping off the rest of his gear. Korra stood in the doorway.

"What is your _problem_?"

"Nothing," he said calmly. She hated when he did this.

"No, not nothing. What is your problem?"

He sighed. His eyes narrowed as he turned to face her. He threw his armguards in the locker. "You don't get it, do you?"

"Excuse me?"

"It's you. You're my problem, Korra."

They frequently argued, but she had never felt an attack this personal before. It enraged her. She felt the heat rising in her face and the familiar tingling in her fingers when she got upset. "Are you kidding?"

"No," he said, voice level, "I'm not. You don't care about the team. You don't care about how we do, don't care if we win, don't even care enough to show up to practice!"

"I told you before that I was working with Tenzin!" she yelled, approaching him. Bolin had made his way to the locker room and stood back, watching the scene unfold.

"Because that's so much more important." The sarcasm dripped from his mouth like thick venom.

"Yeah! It is!" She shoved her finger into his chest. He stepped back. "Being the Avatar is the most important thing in—"

He pushed her hand away. "But it's not the only thing in the world, Korra. That's all you think about, all you care about, and that's not all there is to life. You don't care, though! You don't. You don't care about us." He loomed over her, brow furrowed and eyes blazing.

"…What did you say?"

"You don't care about _us_," he repeated, his voice low.

She shoved him hard, and he flew back, colliding with the wall. The tingling in her fingers was almost unbearable. She was so mad at him. Furious. She didn't care about the team? She didn't care about them? She didn't care about… _him?_ After all they'd been through, with the tournament and the Equalists and Amon and finding Bolin and falling asleep on Naga and that quick, powerful, perfect kiss that they never talked about but made her heart skip a beat whenever she remembered it and… was he honestly saying that? What a joke. What a complete joke. He didn't know what he was talking about.

Mako was the one who didn't care. He didn't care about her. She was the Avatar; she was the one who had to save the city; she was the one who was alone. And he didn't care. He didn't.

Fists clenched, knuckles white, Korra glared at him. "And this coming from the guy who only cares about his brother and himself. That's _real_ rich, Mako."

He rose to his full height and crossed his arms, keeping his distance this time. A lingering sadness swam in his eyes. "And whose fault is that? You make it too hard to care about you, Korra."

Korra's jaw dropped, and she felt a stinging rise up in her eyes. The buzz flowing through her fingers burned, creeping into her arms. Mako's expression changed, softened, and he opened his mouth to continue, but Korra was already turning on her heel and stomping out of the locker room, still wearing all her gear. She hurled her helmet behind her with a growl, not even looking back to see if she broke it or not. She didn't care either way. Maybe she'd just quit so it wouldn't even matter. She'd never look back. Mako would probably like it if she quit, the jerk. It's not like she wanted him to care about her. She didn't.

"Korra!" Bolin shouted after her. She marched on down the hallway, rolling her shoulders and stretching out her fingers to rid herself of the tingling feeling. Bolin caught up to her. "Korra, wait."

"What?" she snapped at him. He jogged at her side to match her pace.

"Mako didn't mean that. I know he didn't."

"Shut up."

He grabbed her wrist. His expression was torn. "Just go back and talk to him, Korra. He just got upset when you started talking about—"

She whipped around. "_No_! I'm not talking to him." She yanked her arm from his grasp.

"Korra…"

She jumped out the window into the bright day, the sun burning her eyes. A swift, swaying movement from her arms caused the water to flood up to meet her. She dove in, embracing the cold saltiness of the bay water. The tingling finally left.

And she was off to the island with the full intention of getting Mako (_jerkyjerk jerkface_) out of her head.

She failed miserably, of course.

x.x.x.x

The rest of the morning, she rode on Naga, remembering the first time that Mako had met her, remembering when they had rested against her in the park, how he had told her about his parents. The look in his eyes when the images of that horrible night came flooding back to him when she'd asked. She didn't want to believe that the same look had been there today when she yelled at him, but it had, hadn't it?

During the afternoon, she practiced at the spinning gates, burning her anger off with training, and complained to Jinora and Ikki about Mako and warned them that boys were stupid and that they should never like them… not that she liked Mako or anything.

That evening, she stood in the kitchen, absently stirring a pot of noodles with some waterbending as Pema finished cooking dinner for the family. She stared out the window and remembered every word she said to him, every word he said to her.

"Watch it, Korra," Pema said, "it's about to boil over." Korra's gaze snapped back to the pot. Bubbles rose up, popping at the edge. She gasped and cooled the temperature with her firebending. Pema sighed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong!" Korra said, voice cracking ever so slightly.

Pema chopped the last of the vegetables. "Korra, I know something is bothering you. You can tell me."

Korra groaned, but Pema turned and smiled at her. While Korra never had much time to spend with her, Pema filled in the role of substitute mother quite well. True, she had three children and a fourth on the way (almost here!), so she had the experience. She just knew how to read people's emotions and always seemed to know the exact thing to say, whether it was Jinora complaining about Ikki following her around all the time or Meelo getting caught sleeping in the flying bison's pen again. She knew what to say. Always.

Korra rubbed her arm and launched into the story of the argument earlier that day… how she had been late for practice, and that set Mako off. How he yelled at her for it. How he said that she didn't care about the brothers. How she snapped back at him, pushed him, egged him on.

"I do care about him," she admitted as she carried the pot out to the dining table. Pema carried the jug of water. The kids scurried around them with the dishes.

"Ooo," Ikki chirped, "Korra likes Mako. I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!"

"I don't like him!" Korra stuck her tongue out.

"Maybe you should just go to him and talk about it. Share your feelings. Apologize." Pema suggested, sitting down at the table. Korra plopped down. Tenzin, already seated, started serving the food.

"But talking is _hard_," Korra complained.

Pema smiled. "You know what this reminds me of?" Korra rested her chin on her hand, waiting. "Katara and Aang's love story."

Tenzin dropped the serving spoon, flinging some noodles on the table. "Pema, please!" Tenzin choked out, and the kids (and Korra) giggled at his reaction.

"Calm down, dear," she said, pushing a glass of water in his direction. She turned back to Korra. "Katara told me once, right after Aang had died, that sometimes it was very difficult to love him."

"But he was the Avatar." Korra interrupted.

"Exactly," Pema said. "And you of all people should know the responsibility and power and fear that comes from that. And all of this is on your shoulders. Think of how overwhelming that must be for someone watching you, someone who wants to help you, even for a strong bender. And you know how strong your old master is."

"Yeah…"

She continued, "Katara wouldn't let herself truly love Aang until the Hundred Year War was finished." Tenzin coughed, still embarrassed. Pema rolled her eyes. "I think Mako does care about you, but he's just overwhelmed. Frustrated."

Korra hit her head against the table and groaned, rolling her face back and forth, smashing her nose into the wood. "But _I'm_ frustrated."

Jinora and Ikki burst into giggles. Meelo slurped his noodles. Pema smiled and patted Korra on the shoulder. "Just give him a chance to explain himself."

"Give _him_ a chance?" Her voice was muffled.

Jinora cleared her throat. "Yes. Give him a chance."

Korra looked up and pointed a finger in her direction. Her eyes narrowed. "Don't be smart with me."

Jinora grinned, and Korra fell back with arms stretched out, groaning again, knowing that if she went and apologized for earlier, she would feel better. She just hated apologizing. She dreaded it.

x.x.x.x

After dinner, she was still dreading it. But she rode back to the arena on Naga anyway. She was too impatient for the ferry. She needed to get this over with. When they arrived, Korra waterbent them dry and left Naga outside to enjoy the night air.

She entered the dark building, walking slowly. What was he going to say? What was _she _going to say? She understood why he was mad… well, she kind of understood. What Pema said didn't make sense, though. Mako didn't care about her. Not like she cared about him. He tolerated her. He… she had no idea what he really thought of her. She rubbed her arms. She hated feeling like this. Like she was out of control of the situation.

She passed the gym, meandering down the hall to the staircase. Her feet shuffled along. Korra was trying to delay it, but she knew that it was going to have to happen, that they were going to have to talk to each other about feelings and forgiveness and ugh, she really hated this. She wanted to make things right again, but was he going to apologize too? Did it even matter? Was she going to tell him that she cared about him? That she _really_ cared?

Her stomach tangled when she thought of the possibility.

She didn't like the feeling.

She walked up the stairs to their attic apartment. When she entered, everything seemed right at first. Then she noticed… she noticed that everything wasn't right. Her eyes darted across the room, taking in all the wrong.

A few of the chairs were knocked over on their sides. The ladder leading up to the bedroom loft was tilted. The window was open, blowing a strong breeze into the apartment. Papers were scattered. A plate that had been on the table had shattered on the floor.

She felt a pit in her stomach.

"Guys?" she called out tentatively. "Bolin? Mako?"

No response.

She inhaled, quick and sharp, and stepped forward lightly. Nobody was here, but she still was nervous. She felt like she was being watched.

Korra saw it from far away. A lone piece of paper, set on the couch. A rock had been set on top of it so that it wouldn't blow away. And deep in her gut, she knew it was meant for her. It was for _her_ to find. She stepped forward, and reached down for the wrinkled paper with a trembling hand. The calligraphy was smooth, and she processed the characters slowly.

_Young Avatar_,it read, _your presence is requested at the old Sato Warehouse in the northwest district. Come quickly and come alone. _

Equalists had been here. They had taken Mako and Bolin. How long ago had this happened? She had no idea. She knew she should go back and inform Tenzin—she knew this—but what if Amon took their bending before she got there? Even worse, what if they were killed?

Vomit rose in her throat at the thought. Anger, fear, and guilt soared through her body. It tingled.

She looked back at the page and reread the characters. She looked closer. There was something written on the back; the Equalists had written on a used piece of paper. She flipped the paper, and her heart sank.

It was Mako's writing, scratched out in a lot of places, scribbles running over the characters that he had worked hard to perfect. It was as if he'd been practicing what he was going to say to her, like he wanted to say the best thing, like he wanted to apologize, like he wanted to make things right again. She could barely make it out, but some of the characters were still legible.

_Sorry. Scared. Korra. Want. Love._

Her eyes stung.

She had to go save them.

Now.

x.x.x.x

x.x.x.x

a/n: So _heeeeyyyyy_. Thought I'd do a chaptered story, which I generally avoid. So I'm not sure how the quality compares to what I usually produce. But anyway, I hope you enjoyed.

Korra and friends © Bryke


	2. Chapter 2

"C'mon, girl," Korra urged in a low voice. "Faster."

Naga raced through the dirty streets of Republic City, skidding as she turned the corners. Korra leaned over her, bouncing in the saddle, the reins tight in her grip. The air rushed against her face, sending her hair flying back behind her and filling her lungs with the city's polluted air.

How could she let this happen? She had to get there now. She had to go faster. She had to.

Bolin.

…Mako.

She pushed Naga into a sprint.

She'd never been on this side of the city, and she could see why. It was an old industrial center, back from when the city first took root, and most of the buildings were now abandoned. Their companies followed Future Industries when they planted their new home in another district. Glass windows had been broken in. Doors were boarded up. She didn't want to think about how many orphans were curled up inside some of these buildings, huddling together, willing themselves warm.

Korra pressed Naga on, and her eyes darted from building to building, looking for the right characters. No, no, no…

There. Future Industries' old warehouse, possibly its oldest. Sato was written on the side. This had to be the place. It was the only building that had a glow of light in its windows. Bolin (her teammate and friend) and Mako (her…) were somewhere inside.

Korra turned Naga into the nearest alley and skidded to a stop. She slid out of the saddle, running her hand down Naga as she did so. She wrapped her arms around the polar bear dog's thick neck and pressed her face into the fur, inhaling. "I'll be back soon, girl. I promise."

Naga growled as she nuzzled against her best friend, the sound sad and low.

Korra approached the building, not bothering to hide her presence, not bothering to muffle the sounds of her footsteps. She wasn't scared. Not anymore.

She knew what Amon had waiting for her. She knew how the Lieutenant's electrified kali sticks worked. She knew how the chi-blockers fought, attacking her weak points with quick punches and tying her up with their cables. They had no more surprises waiting for her in the shadows. They no longer had the unknown on their side.

She was not going to be scared.

Korra stood in front of the heavy metal doors. She cracked her knuckles, readying her body for the upcoming fight. She'd force her way in past Amon's fighters, find Mako and Bolin, grab them, and go. It was as easy as that. Deep in her gut, she regretted not fetching Tenzin or Beifong, but she told herself (again) that she could handle the situation alone. She was the Avatar. This was her job. Besides, they'd never be able to catch her, not now. She wasn't going to let them hurt Mako and Bolin. She leaned back, relishing the pops coming from her spine as she cracked her back.

She was ready.

Korra kicked the door off its hinges, and a thick layer of dust burst up from the ground, blocking her view. When it cleared, she took in the scene that laid ahead of her. The warehouse was huge. Massive metal pipes ran along its walls and ceiling, curving through the room to connect various boilers or ventilation systems. An assembly belt ran near the ceiling, covered with spare parts. A few old Satomobiles had been left here, too, and they had a strangely old quality to them underneath the dust, even though it also looked like they'd never been driven. Sturdy metal supports, some covered with splotchy rust marks, held the roof up.

High above, her prizes waited.

The brothers hung by their arms from the high ceiling on two separate pipes, metal chains rattling from their wrists. The metal was thick, and the manacles looked tight on their wrists. Did she need a key? It looked too thick to melt quickly. Maybe if her fire were hotter, she'd be able to do it fast. Her eyes moved down. Even from this distance, Korra could make out the streaks of tears that had stained Bolin's cheeks. He forced a weak smile. Mako stared down at her; his eyes widened and his mouth opened ever so slightly. A line of congealed blood ran from his forehead down his cheek. She met his eyes (surprised and sad) for a moment before looking back down to see a group of Equalists stepping forward, spinning their weapons above their heads, preparing to tie up Korra.

She couldn't help but grin at the challenge.

Time to dance.

Two of the chi-blockers lurched closer, tossing out their cables at Korra's ankles. She flipped to the side, cartwheeling out of the way and jabbing out a burst of fire at them. They dodged her initial attack and spun around, running in close for a second try. One threw out another cable at her chest. Korra agilely reached out and grabbed it with one hand, whipping out her other arm to her side in a back punch to block its momentum from locking her in an embrace. She yanked on the cable, pulling the fighter close to her and punching him in the jaw. He crumpled to the floor. She bent the ground with a stomp, pushing him away.

Cable still in hand, she spun it around her head and launched it at the second attacker, tying her arms up against her body. The chi-blocker wobbled and fell, sliding across the dusty floor.

Two down, easily. She laughed and winked up at Bolin.

"Korra!" he shouted.

She felt the chi-blocker's movements before she saw them. Korra arched back as the masked woman leapt towards her, whirling her arms and creating a rather weak but still solid ball of air. The swirling gust collided with the henchwoman's arc of motion, and she flew over Korra instead of against her and crashed into a metal support.

That sure was close. She was getting too cocky, and she wasn't even close to winning this battle yet. The heavy training Tenzin had regimented on her certainly had helped, but still… More focus, less celebrating. She shook out her arms, prepping for the next assault.

Two men flipped closer, double-teaming her. They neared, fists reaching out for her chi-spots. She blocked the bigger one with hot kick, fire licking her foot, but he was a thick man. He didn't budge, and Korra's momentum was halted. She ducked down, avoiding the big one's second punch. She pulled up as the thin one tried to block her chi, grabbing his arm. She whipped around, spinning him out. A three-motion thrust with her arms, fingers tight and outstretched, sent a heavy sheet of the ground flying at him before he could steady himself, and he rolled back.

Her attention returned to the big chi-blocker, pulling back before he could land a jab on her neck. She blocked his attacks, and responded with earth and fire, but this one was strong. He held up a fight.

"Lieutenant, end this." The voice was deep, dark, and all too familiar. Out of her peripheral vision, she saw that Amon and his second-hand man had appeared sometime during her fight. He stood on top of one of the Satomobiles, arms crossed, enjoying the show.

She dodged another punch, and watched as the Lieutenant started to slowly approach her, reaching back to grab his kali sticks. She had to take down this guy before the Lieutenant attacked her. She wouldn't be able to handle both men at once, and those kali sticks were a real threat with a jolt of electricity running through them. Simply put, they were debilitating.

Her heart quickened, and a flurry of fire roared at the big henchman, knocking him back a few paces. Her eyes glanced up again at the Lieutenant, but he wasn't there.

_He wasn't there_.

How had he gotten behind her so fast? She spun around, crouching slightly, hands pulled up to her chin in a pro-bending stance, fully expecting him to be behind her. But he wasn't. She stood to her full height and within moments, she saw him, smiling, next to the pipes on the wall. The electricity blazed through the kali stick, bright and pure, as he stabbed the pipe.

Bolin's scream ripped through the air.

"Bo!" Mako cried painfully.

Korra's head whipped up, catching sight of the last bits of electricity sparking off Bolin. When the Lieutenant attacked the pipe, the current traveled up it, following its route to the ceiling, to the chains hanging off it there, to the manacles, to Bolin.

He gasped as the jolt left his body.

Korra collided with the ground. The big chi-blocker had punched her in her shoulder, and she knew that arm was useless. But she could still fight. She could still do this. She spun her legs around, blasting flames from her feet to block the henchman. With the momentum, she stood.

"Stop it!" she yelled at the Lieutenant, who watched her curiously. She rubbed her left arm, begging her bending to return. How did this happen? It wasn't supposed to turn out like this, they didn't have any more secrets for her, she was supposed to be able to do this alone. No, she still could. She still could.

"You should stop struggling," Amon said as she leapt for the henchman towering over her. "You'll only make it worse for your friends." Korra kicked out a block of earth at the chi-blocker, and he stumbled back as he dodged. Amon spoke again, "Lieutenant…" He had stepped to the left and readied his kali stick for the next pipe. He lifted it up and—

Mako howled, his body writhing from the chains. A tingle rose up in the tips of Korra's fingers.

"If you stop, he'll stop," Amon promised. Korra hesitated, but a flame blazed brightly in her right palm, ready to attack. Her eyes darted everywhere, from Amon to the Lieutenant to Bolin to the henchman to Mako to Mako to Mako. She could do this still. Amon jumped from the Satomobile to the ground, his long jacket billowing as he landed gracefully. He continued, "If you submit yourself willingly, I won't kill your friends."

It had all been a trap. Of course. Of course it was a trap. Amon wanted her, nobody else.

She was such an idiot.

"What do you want from me?" she asked.

The henchmen she had defeated stirred on the ground. More had come into the main room from the back corners of the warehouse. The Lieutenant stood by the pipes, kali sticks at the ready. They all watched her.

"I want your cooperation. After the last time we met, and you escaped, I decided that physical force was not the right tactic with you. You're very strong, young Avatar." Korra bit her lip, and the flame extinguished out of her hand. Her fingers trembled, tingled, burned. "And after I had some spies attend your latest pro-bending match—you performed excellently, by the way—I decided that the best way to get what I want was to have you come to me." Korra felt everyone's eyes on her as they waited for her response. She swallowed, plans forming and crumbling in her mind all at once. Amon chuckled. "I mean, who better to demonstrate to the world that bending is a horrible, unnatural thing that should be eradicated than the Avatar herself?"

Above, Bolin let out a gasp. His eyes were wide, the tears flowing freely again down his cheeks, carving new streaks, new stains.

"Leave, Korra," Mako barked. "Now!"

"The firebender," Amon said simply, and the Lieutenant obeyed, sending a jolt through the left pipe. Mako shrieked and his body twisted in the air as the current flowed through his limbs.

"Stop it!" Bolin yelled. "Stop hurting my brother!" Only a glance from Amon, and Bolin was shrieking as well.

Tears pricked her eyes, blurring her vision slightly. This wasn't how it was supposed to go, and she knew that she had fallen into the trap and that she was doing exactly what Amon wanted and that Tenzin would be furious with her but she had to… she had to save them. No matter what it took, she had to save them. She was the Avatar. This is what she had to do. She was the one who had to protect the people, the people she loved. Loved.

"Fine!" Korra cried out, stepping forward. Her heart raced. Her fingers tingled. "You can have me, just please… please let them go."

"Korra, no!" Mako yelled, his voice rough and raw from screaming in pain.

She felt a lone tear roll down her cheek, and she fell to her knees. "Let them go," she whispered.

Amon nodded at the Lieutenant, who obeyed, and struck both pipes. The brothers screamed in unison, their voices blending in a sick harmony of pain as they thrashed about from their chains. Korra saw a streak of blood creeping down Mako's arm from the manacle digging into his wrist.

Amon coughed. "I need you to ask for it," he said calmly. "Ask nicely, sweetheart."

Mako's body calmed, and he looked at her. "Stop it… Korra," Mako yelled out between breaths. Another tear escaped and tumbled down her face as she looked up at him. His amber eyes burned down. "I'm sorry, okay? I get it. You care about us. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I ever said that." His words were fast, almost jumbled, as he tried to get them out before he was attacked again. "But if you really care, you have to leave. I love—"

The Lieutenant stabbed the pipe, holding the kali stick there longer than he ever had. Mako screamed as the torturous electricity blazed through his body, sparking off him. Korra's heart _hurt_. They were going to kill him. She had failed. He was going to die. She was losing control of the situation (had she ever had any control in the first place?) The blood from Mako's wrists dripped down as he twisted, droplets splashing on the floor. She couldn't… she had to…

"Take my bending!" she shrieked. A blink sent more tears down her cheeks.

The Lieutenant stopped his attack, and Mako's head hung down, his body limp. Bolin's face was worried as he peered over at his brother, trying to get a look at his face. He… no, she could still see Mako moving slightly, sucking in life with each inhalation.

"Where are your manners?" Amon asked.

"_Please_," she gasped. "Take my bending away. Just let them go."

"Very well," he replied. He nodded at his henchmen, now standing, who launched their cables at her arms. She sank farther down, her legs bent and out to her sides. The cables pulled out her arms, stretching her bones. Her heart was going to burst out of her chest. But she had to save them, she had to.

Amon approached her finally, his stride powerful. He loomed over her. She looked past his mask and into his eyes, deep and dark and soulless. She let her head hang down, and tears dripped off her nose. "You're a strong woman to sacrifice yourself like this." He paced back and forth in front of her, his hands locked behind his back. "Pity," he said, "My mother was a strong woman before that firebender murdered her. Didn't do her much good." He knelt down in front of her, resting a hand on her shoulder. "And just because you're sacrificing yourself like this doesn't mean you're going to do any good. They're still benders. I may decide to let them leave with their lives, but I could never let them go with their _bending_. But don't worry, I'll be gentle."

She felt her body quiver, the burning rising in her fingers, her toes, her chest. She stared at the ground, refusing to look at him. He put his head next to her ear and whispered.

"And I'll start with that firebender, but I may not be so gentle with him. I _hate_ firebenders."

Korra felt like she was going to explode out of her skin. The burning coursed through her whole body hotly, fiercely, unrelenting, and the images, the memories attacked her viciously. They flashed in her mind, vivid and pure.

Mako and Bolin at a match, smoothly evading the attacks of the opposing team as they tried for another win.

Mako generating lightning from his fingers, demonstrating his work.

Bolin impressing a fan with some quick moves.

The image she'd created in her head of Mako warming Bolin with some bending when they lived on the streets.

Mako's face, illuminated by his fire.

Mako smiling.

Mako.

Mako…

Her head snapped up, eyes glowing white and pure and perfect. "NO." The voice poured out of her, a chorus of a thousand voices all rolled into one. "YOU WILL NOT HURT HIM."

The burning in her body externalized, and she caught fire. Her arms, her legs… a swirling mass of flames haloed around her body. Amon's eyes reflected her fire, and she could see what was buried inside them.

Fear.

A deep, ancient power pulsed through her body, and she sensed it in her heart, strong and unyielding. The whips burned off her arms, and the residual flame snaked across the floor as the cables fell. Her body began to rise up off the ground, and the power transformed the fire into wind. Embers flew out. Her hair swirled around her as she lifted, the power leading her up into the air. She wanted it, she wanted to focus to feel the strength, to own the power, but it beat her down, submitting her body to its will. Korra was out of control. Out of control. She didn't want this, she couldn't do this, she wouldn't listen, but the power shrieked deafeningly in her ears and filled her wholly, pressing her will down.

And the Avatar obeyed.

The pipes along the walls heated quickly and burst with a clench of her fists, and a blast of steam filled the room. The Lieutenant jumped from the pipes before they exploded and burned him. Amon finally seemed to grasp the situation, and he tore his gaze from her glowing eyes.

"Stop her!" he commanded. The henchmen, over fifteen of them now, swarmed her, whips swinging. The ball of air surrounding her released, and all of them soared back with the gust, colliding with the pipes. More steam filled the room, even hotter than before.

The Avatar dropped to the ground, and when she landed, the ground trembled, cracking apart in a horrifying noise as it rippled out from the crater she had created. Huge walls of earth stretched up on the left side of the warehouse and smashed the henchmen against the pipes. Their skin sizzled as it made contact with the hot metal. She didn't hear their shrieks.

On the right side, the Lieutenant started for her, his kali sticks out. A jet of white flame exploded from her palm, and he flipped out of the way right before he caught fire. The metal brace holding the roof took the brunt of the attack and glowed red and yellow and orange as it started melting to the ground. Another chi-blocker took one look at the Avatar's fierce expression, the power leaking out of her, and ran out of the building.

"No!" Amon screamed.

The Avatar threw herself down, slamming her fists into the ground. Two huge columns of earth, riddled with rocks on its sides, erupted up from the floor underneath the two brothers. The right side of the building rumbled, and a metal brace snapped under the pressure. Chunks of pipe and spare parts fell from above. A Satomobile had caught fire.

Huge whips of flame flew from her fingers, and the Avatar sliced through the chains holding the two in the air. They fell to the columns below. Bolin cried out when he landed, barely catching himself. Mako struggled to lift himself up on his elbow.

Another set of pipes burst, loud and angry, sending more steam out, which began swirling around her, reverting back to its liquid state. The Lieutenant, who stood watching, amazed by the power, began to walk her again, slowly this time; his kali sticks dazzled with electricity. Amon tried to run to him.

And failed.

The water flooded against him, lifting him up in a whirl, where it solidified, freezing him in place. The Avatar approached him, a ball of fire forming in her hand, blazing with heat. Amon laughed, loud and clear.

"You're just proving my point, _Avatar_," he hissed. "All bending brings is hate and destruction." The Avatar's hand pressed closer to his face, and the colors on his mask began to meld together as the heat from the fire melted his mask onto his face. He muffled a scream. Another piece of ceiling fell, nearly crushing the two of them. "And you're the worst of them all," he choked out. "Look at this place; look at yourself. You're a monster. Even your friends are scared of you."

Her friends.

Korra looked up and saw the fear burning in Mako's eyes.

_It sounds terrifying_, he'd said. _You make it too hard to care about you, Korra._

_Scared_, he'd written.

The tears streamed down her cheeks, and she felt the energy leave her body, all in a rush. Everything was fading into black, everything, she was out of control, out of…

She collapsed.

x.x.x.x

x.x.x.x

a/n: MWAHAH AM I CRUEL OR WHAT. So. I had fun writing the action in this chapter. Funny, because I usually write fluffy things, but this was super fun to do. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. Third part will come as soon as I can get it done. PEACE AND LOVE, FRIENDS.

Korra and friends © BRYKE.


	3. Chapter 3

_She was falling. _

_She whizzed past blurs of light, reaching out for somebody, something, nobody at all. Stars. Darkness seeped everywhere, into everything. She cried out but her voice was smothered by the cosmos as she tumbled down, through, into. _

_Her descent slowed, and her body righted itself, toes making contact with some kind of surface. It was invisible. All was stars and all was dark. She breathed in the colors, heard the shine, tasted home. She looked up and saw herself, huge and beautiful and terrifying, eyes glowing white, brighter than any sun. _

"_Korra. We finally meet."_

_She knew that voice. It felt like she was speaking to herself in her own voice, but it was definitely male. Recognizable and unfamiliar all at once. She turned to the speaker. They'd never met, but she knew him. A man stood far from her, his features hazy, but she could make out one thing. A tattooed arrow, brilliantly white. _

_Aang. _

Korra jolted awake with a soft gasp.

Her heart raced, and her lungs sucked in air as fast as they could. What just happened? Where had she been? Better question, where was she now? Her mind was trapped in a thick fog. She tried sitting up fully, but her head was still spinning from the fall, so she laid her head back on a pillow. She blinked to clear her vision and took in her surroundings. A pointed ceiling, rising straight into the roof. Plain, unadorned walls. She was definitely in a bed. She tilted her head, and out of the huge windows on the far side of the room, she could make out Air Temple Island. Where was she?

"I need to go and tell Tenzin," a voice said from below.

"No, Mako, you need stay. You're hurt too. A lot more than I was…" Mako? Mako! And Bolin, that had to be Bolin! But where… how?

"What about Tenzin?"

"I'll go and tell him."

She was in the brothers' apartment, in Bolin's bed, she presumed, up in the lofted area above the main room. Her legs were tangled up in sheets, and when she raised a hand to her face, she noticed she had a light sheen of sweat over her whole body. How did she get here? She racked her brain, but couldn't remember anything. The last thing she remembered was hugging Naga, the smell of her fur, her warmth and then… nothing.

"I'll go tell him what happened," Bolin continued. "And maybe he'll want to come back to see how she's doing. I don't think we should move her. We don't know if she's sick… you know… if she did something to herself. She hasn't woken up, yet… Tenzin'll probably know more."

Mako hesitated. "Was that… was all that what she had been talking about earlier today?"

"Must be." She pictured him shrugging.

"It was… scary." Scary? What was scary? "Did you see her eyes?"

"Yeah," Bolin sighed.

"It felt like they were looking right through me, but I… couldn't look away. I…"

The memory hit her, hard and unyielding, and she remembered. Oh, she remembered. His wrists, bleeding underneath the manacles. His mouth, slightly agape and stuck in awe. His amber eyes, full of fear, staring at her, at her, at the Avatar, at an uncontrollable tempest of pure power. She'd been entirely out of control.

And Mako was scared of her.

Korra closed her eyes tightly and bit her lip, hoping to wake up from another dream, but she was very awake. This was no dream. She sighed, and listened in again. She heard patting. Was Bolin comforting Mako? "It's okay, bro. It'll all be okay. You just stay here and rest. Let ole Bolin handle the situation."

The door creaked open. "Fine. Stay safe, Bo. …Love you."

"Will do. Love you too."

The door closed. Click.

Korra had to get out of here. If the brothers were safe, then she had done her job, and she could leave and didn't have to see them ever again. She didn't have to see the fear in his eyes, fear directed at her. She'd go before she had to see him. She'd leave out the window or something. She just… couldn't have him look at her.

She swung her feet over the side of the bed and stood all in one motion. Her body ached, and she instantly knew something was off. Her eyes widened. Blood rushed. And her head… ah… The room spun around her, darkening in splotches. She fell on her knees, reaching out to catch herself before her face collided with the wood. One arm pushed against the second bed; the other hit the floor.

"Korra?"

She knelt on the floor unmoving, waiting for her vision to clear, dreading what Mako was going to say to her. What was he going to say? She breathed in, breathed out. Oh, she hurt. The sharp pain in her knees was subsiding quickly, but her body was still incredibly sore in this position. The dark splotches slowly were beginning to fade. She sat up, blinking the rest away.

"Korra!" His voice was much closer. She turned and saw his head just peeking over the edge of the loft as he raced up the ladder. She looked back down at her feet. "What are you doing? Are you okay?" He approached her hesitantly, his footsteps barely making a sound. Of course he was hesitant.

"I'm going home. And I'm fine," she replied through gritted teeth.

"You're not going home; you're staying here. You need to rest. Let me help you."

"But I'm _fine_," she repeated, but she couldn't stop him from hitching one arm underneath her knees and the other behind her back. What was he doing? After what had happened… it didn't make sense. She stifled a gasp of surprise as he lifted her effortlessly and cradled her against his chest for the briefest of moments. She relished in his strength and warmth and _no. _She wouldn't let herself think like that. Not anymore.

He placed her lightly on top of the bed. When she tried to get up again, he gently pushed her down. She conceded with an annoyed sigh and pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs. At least he wasn't forcing her to lie down. She looked at her feet again. "Does Bolin mind that I'm in his bed?"

"It's my bed," he said simply, sitting on Bolin's bed, facing her. "And I don't mind."

She didn't want to be here, and she didn't want him looking at her. She didn't want to talk, but she heard Pema's voice in her head, urging her to communicate with him. Stupid Pema. Always right. She rubbed her shins and snuck a glance over at Mako. His elbows were propped up on his knees, and he leaned towards her. Both his wrists (his bleeding wrists) were tightly wrapped in bandages. He'd really been hurt… Her curiosity got the better of her, like always.

"How did we get away? What… happened?" she asked softly. He leaned back on the bed, head tilted as he observed her, gauging her reaction.

"Well, you fainted… and the warehouse kept crumbling after you'd passed out. Amon was still frozen in place, so the Lieutenant started trying to get him free, hacking away at the ice. Bolin and I started climbing down slowly. I could barely move after… you know." Korra grimaced into her knees, remembering the electricity and the writhing and the yelling (the screaming, the shrieking, the crying). "I was halfway down when Naga busted in. She's the one who got us out of there before the whole building collapsed." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I assume all the Equalists—well, those who were still alive—got out before it came down. Bolin steered Naga to the arena, and we brought you up here. It hasn't been that long… only half an hour or something like that. I'm sure the police are reviewing the scene now."

The warehouse had been completely destroyed. She'd done that. She'd had that power, the ability to demolish an entire building. Her mouth opened slightly. She remembered the roof crumbling down, the metal melting, the ground trembling… It wasn't like she'd had any control over it though, but still—an entire warehouse cleared to the ground because of her.

"Are you guys…okay?" she asked tentatively.

"We're fine."

"But what about…" She gestured at his wrists.

"Don't worry."

He fell into silence, and Korra fell back into her thoughts. Memories flooded back to her, but they were different than normal memories. It was like they had a glowing haze wrapped around them, restricting her from seeing the whole picture. She could only get glimpses of quick images. Fire. Smashing the chi-blockers against the wall. Sizzling skin. Amon's mask, melting against his already scarred face. Bolin falling. Mako's eyes. She glanced back up. He wasn't fine. Something was wrong, he wanted to say something, but he was resisting. She had to know. She didn't want to know, but she just had to.

"What?" she said. He ran a hand through his dark hair and tugged a little. His mouth opened and closed and opened again.

"That whole spectacle was incredibly _stupid_ of you. What were you thinking? Going by yourself? Why didn't you get Tenzin?" Well, that certainly wasn't what she was expecting. He groaned, and his voice softened. "Why do you insist on being the hero alone?"

"I'm the Avatar," she replied simply. It was a phrase that had been memorized and repeated her entire life. Mako shot her a look of annoyance; that answer clearly did not satisfy him.

"How'd you even know where we were?"

She began picking out the dirt underneath her fingernails. "They left a note on your couch."

"Our couch? Wait, why were you here?" He leaned forward on his knees again. He certainly enjoyed filling in stories, finding all the pieces to the puzzle, fitting it together neatly and smoothly.

She evaded eye contact. "I came to apologize for this morning, okay? I'm sorry for… well, I'm not even sure anymore. I'm just sorry."

He hesitated. "I wanted to apologize, too, Korra. I was just—"

"I already know," she interrupted. "I think." He cocked his head to the side. "I found… the uh… practice run?"

"You what?"

"Hey, I wasn't snooping or anything. It was on the back of the paper that the Equalists had used to write their note telling me where to go. Sorry."

Korra looked up from her nails. His face was scrunched up in concentration. Why was it so easy to talk to him right now? No, she wasn't supposed to be here. She needed to go. Why was he even talking to her in the first place? Wasn't he—

"Well at least let me thank you. Even though it was the dumbest thing ever, you still saved me and Bolin." He wanted to… thank her? No, that was a joke. In her mind, she saw his eyes again, bright and afraid. She had been out of control. There was nothing to thank, nothing to be proud of.

"Thank me for being so scary?" she mumbled. Mako leaned back again, his eyes incredulous and wide.

"Korra, I—"

"I heard what you said," she admitted, her voice a monotone, broken, sad. She fixed her gaze on the wall, ignoring Mako, and her eyes ran over all the imperfections. She tried counting the marks, but she couldn't get him out of her head. He was right there, sitting on that bed right there, and all she had to do was look into his eyes and see what lay behind them. But she couldn't do it. Because all she could see in her head was the terror in his eyes, cowering from her. "You said it just now with Bolin. It was _scary_. In your note, at practice… You were scared of me. You _are_ scared of me."

He'd been right, of course. It was scary. The energy surging through her veins, her body completely out of her control, destroying and hurting and killing without her consent. Of course he was afraid of her. He could never care about her after that.

Nobody would ever care about her.

"Look at me, Korra." She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Please, look at me," he pleaded. His voice, patient and kind (_why?_) pulled her eyes from the wall and back to his.

They weren't afraid.

"I wasn't scared of you." He spoke slowly, calmly, like he was in complete control of the situation. Unlike her. "I was scared _for _you."

Korra looked back at the wall. "What are you talking about?" she muttered.

"I don't want to see you hurt, okay? I don't… it's just that I've always only cared about Bolin, and he was all that mattered. And then you came along." She felt a blush rise up in her cheeks, but no, no, no, he couldn't. "Now I have two people I can't lose. At least with Bolin, even though he's running off and getting into stupid trouble, he doesn't mean to. But it's not the same with you. You do this willingly!" His voice was quick, aching, like he'd been dying to tell her this all along. "It's been bothering me since you challenged Amon that first time. You just jump into danger alone, not even asking for anybody's help and _that's_ what scares me, Korra. I'm scared of losing you."

She heard her pulse throbbing in her ears, loud, strong.

His voice slowed as embarrassment set in. "I was going to tell you when I apologized for the way I acted this morning. I just… couldn't get the words right, I suppose." He wrung his hands between his knees.

"But I thought you were mad at me because I've been blowing off practice."

"Well that is definitely annoying, and I wish you would stop—"

She finally looked up at him and gestured her frustration, fists clenched. "But I've told you a thousand times that I've been training with Tenzin!"

He stood. "Yeah, so you can just run into even more danger willingly!" She quieted, and he paced in front of her, spinning on his toes as he turned. His arms jerked out in big, sweeping, frustrated gestures. "Being the Avatar may be your job, but ever since my parents died, it's been _my_ job to protect the people I care about, but you won't let anyone care for you! And then you start talking to Bolin at practice today about the Avatar State and how you could die. So casually, too, like it didn't even matter. And that's what made me mad, okay? You just don't care about how we feel… about how _I_ feel." He paused, stopping in his tracks in front of Korra. "It's like you don't even see it." He fell into silence.

Mako wasn't making any sense. None at all. How he felt? She saw it though… she saw how he felt. He was afraid of her. Afraid of her aggression, her skill, her strength. Afraid of the sheer power harboring inside her soul, waiting to be released again. But he said that he wasn't afraid… and when she looked at him now, she didn't see fear, she saw lo—

No. It was impossible. She had no control; she had too much power. Her mind buzzed, and images flashed through her head. Bright, horrible, uncontrollable.

She had lived her whole life waiting for the moment when the energy surged through her body and she entered the Avatar State. She had craved it for years. But it wasn't like she had imagined; it was nothing like her childhood fantasies. When it took hold of her and the voices flowed out of her mouth and she became a puppet… she didn't want it. It had turned her into something she wasn't, a swirling storm of bending ready for the kill, ruthlessly out of her control.

Amon had been right. She was a monster.

If she couldn't control it, what was going to happen the next time? When was it going to happen? She could hurt someone… she could hurt Mako. She almost did, didn't she? That fire whip had been so close to his hands, his face. She could have killed him. She didn't want it. She didn't. She couldn't. Her eyes stung, and her vision blurred.

_I wasn't scared of you_, he had said.

"I was scared of me," Korra mumbled. Her shoulders trembled as the fear poured out of her in thick, rolling tears. Mako sat next to her on his bed, hesitantly wrapping an arm around her. She shook her head. "I don't want it to happen again, Mako. But I know it will. I know I will…" She sniffed.

"Korra…"

"It's the only way I can defeat Amon. I understand that. But it was so scary, it was so… I hated the feeling of being out of control, of having nothing to hold onto…" She wiped at her face. Mako's voice came out in a whisper, gentle and kind and desperate.

"You can hold onto me."

"But _I'm_ the Avatar. This is my job. I'm the one who is supposed to save everyone. Nobody else."

"That's not true, Korra." He no longer spoke gently. "You're not alone, and you'd see that if you just opened your eyes." She shoved his arm off her and turned away. "Stop pushing me away!" he said frantically, grasping both of her shoulders and shaking her lightly.

"But—"

"JUST LET ME LOVE YOU!" he yelled.

All that could be heard was their breath, their life being inhaled and exhaled in short bursts of emotion. His hands slid down her arms. Her heart pounded in her chest, trying to break free. Love. She wasn't alone. All she had to do was open her eyes. She had Tenzin, she had Bolin, she had Mako, and now she had Aang, finally coming to her after so many years of lying in wait.

But…

"I thought it was too hard to care about me," she said softly. He sighed.

"Just because it's hard doesn't mean I don't. You drive me crazy and you worry me constantly and it scares me how willing you are to jump into danger but I love you." He breathed, "I love you."

She let herself look into his golden eyes, to really look into them. They were begging, pleading with her to let him in, to not be alone.

There was no fear. There was no anger. Only love.

She didn't really want to leave, did she? She wanted to stay here with him. And just as much as he wanted to protect her, she wanted to protect him too. She couldn't bear to lose him, either. Because if she did, she'd never see him laughing at Bolin again, never see his excitement at winning a match, never see his confidence when he bended fire, never see his smile, rare but perfect… never see his eyes, his soul.

Korra opened her eyes, and felt it there. In him, in her. Slow, burning, pure.

"I think… I think I love you too," she said. Her head leaned forward and rested on his shoulder. His arms found their way around her again, pulling her against him once more. He was strong. Warm. She breathed him in.

The last of her tears were soaked into his shirt. She wasn't alone. _She wasn't alone_.

"It's scary, isn't it?" she said, clinging to him.

Mako's breath dusted across her hair. "What is?"

"Everything. This. Us."

He pulled away from her and cocked his head to the side, a look of hesitation on his features. His hands touched her face, fingers gradually moving up her cheeks. She swallowed. Her eyes met his. Hearts pumped, breaths quickened. She'd never felt so nervous in her life.

The distance between them closed, and lips were brushing against lips, breaths were mingling together. They kissed softly, innocently, perfectly.

A tingling set in her body, running through her veins, but it wasn't like before. It didn't fill her with dread or make her uncomfortable. This was just right, exactly how she'd imagined it. Flawless. It wasn't full of burning or anger or sadness. Just love. Only love.

Mako broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers. Her eyes remained closed, but she heard the smile in voice when he spoke again.

"It's terrifying."

x.x.x.x

x.x.x.x

Okay, guys, this is the LAST PART. I'm just gonna go hide now. SEE? THIS IS WHY I DON'T DO CHAPTERED THINGS. I CAN'T SEEM TO TIE EVERYTHING UP LIKE I WANTED TO. AND AND AND LAME ATTEMPTS TO CONNECT LOVE AND THE AVATAR STATE. UGH. I'M SO LAME. And that kiss part took me forever to get "right", and part of me feels like it doesn't belong BUT I ALWAYS HAVE TO HAVE FLUFF, DON'T I? SO SCREW IT.

Oh, well. Enough complaining. There are still parts that I genuinely do like. The beginning dream-like sequence, for example. I really liked that. And I still like the battle bits from the last chapter.

Sorry if I got carried away and they ended up too OOC. BUT WHATEVER. DONE. I JUST WANTED THIS UP BEFORE EPISODE FOUR OFFICIALLY AIRS TO CELEBRATE MAKORRA, ESPECIALLY AFTER ALL THE NONSENSE FLYING ABOUT ON THE INTERNETS. BECAUSE MAKORRA IS LIFE AND MAKORRA IS FOREVER AND NOBODY CAN TEAR THEM APART.

Korra and friends © Bryke


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